Strange Days ( working title)
by Cethena
Summary: When she wakes up next to a stranger in her own bed, Deliahs world is turned up side down. Not just that nobody remembers the things the way she does, but she gets sucked into an adventure she never imagined could be possible. Searching for the missing pieces of a puzzle that seems unsolvable the whole affair is likely to take an unfriendly turn.
1. The Stranger

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Cassandra Clare. Just not the ones you don´t recognize from the books. They belong to me.

**A/N:** Got this idea a while ago. Hope you´ll like it^^

* * *

The sky went dark in a matter of minutes. Thunder boomed and made my furniture shake. I saw lightning streak at the other end of the city. But I just sat there in my window-seat and watched the rain pour down the glass. It was getting late. I knew I should go to sleep and I could barely suppress my yawning anymore and yet something had held me back. Thunder boomed anew and this time it was accompanied by a _flap_ _. _I turned around to see that one of my books had fallen from it´s shelf. Walking over I picked it up. I starred at the yellow-green cover and brushed over the white letters like it was some sort of secret lover. Grinning I put it back on the shelf. Light flickered and a shiver ran up my spine. I shook my head. This meant nothing, I told myself. I was just tiered. I yawned one more time and crawled under the blanket.

I awoke to sunbeams tickling my skin and stretched extensive. Allowing one arm to dangle lazy over the edge of the bed I took a deep breath. I realized I must have forgotten to close the window because it smelled like rain. Grinning I let my head fell to the side – and jumped. A stranger was lying on the other side of the bed, sleeping soundly. I crawled out and used the blanket to cover my, with a tank top and shorts, barely concealed body. I looked at the boy again. He had longer blond hair that curled slightly at the tips and he definitely wasn´t bad to look at. Not quite my type, but still. Relief washed over me when I saw that he – at least – wore a shirt. I didn´t know about the other part. For one thing it was covered by the other blanket and on the other hand I really didn´t wanted to find out.

Recovering from the shock I sat down on the bed again, my eyes still fixed on the boy. Where did he come from and even more important..."Who the hell are you?", I said, louder than I intended to, waking him. His eyes opened and starred at the ceiling. He seemed to realize that something was wrong because a furrow appeared between his brows. Looking to either side he finally noticed me. The boy jumped out of the bed. I crept over and looked down to where he lay on the floor. For Gods sake, he wore trousers.

"Who the hell are you?", he asked, staring at me inquisitively with brown eyes.

"Well, considering that _you_ are the one that just _appeared_ in my house I think you owe me an answer to the same question", I replied.

"I...", he started. "I...I don´t know."

"What do you mean you _don´t know_ ?", I retorted.

"It means I don´t know", he snapped and got up. "I don´t know who I am or what I am doing here. I don´t remember _anything_. "

"Not even your name?" I didn´t believe him. "Come on. You must know _something_. Initials or a letter. I mean I can´t just call you The Boy."

He stood there for a moment, a pained expression on his face. Then he answered: "J.C."

"Alright, J.C. I´m Deliah, this is my house and..." I just realized I was still wearing the blanket "...and you get out of my bedroom so I can get dressed", I ended. He made for the door, then paused and turned. "You´re not going to throw me out on the street just so, are you?", he asked, real concern in his voice.

"We´ll see", I said and made a shooing motion at him. He turned and left.

As soon as the door closed I collapsed on the bed. I ran my fingers through my hair and pulled at them. Then I got up and entangled me from the blanket. I walked over to the bathroom and starred at the mirror. I pinched myself and cried out in pain.

"Everything alright?", he yelled from the kitchen.

"Yes", I shouted back. But it wasn´t. Why couldn´t this all just be some dream? Why couldn´t I wake up? I pulled the tap and let cold water gather in the sink. Then I dove my face under the surface. I stayed until I couldn´t breathe, then I surfaced. I was fully awake now, grasping at the sink, trying to catch my breath. What was I doing here? Waking up next to a stranger in my own house? Letting him stay? For all I know he could be a murderer... I shook my head. Calm down. Concentrate. I took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Eventually I calmed down.

When I felt like I could handle the situation again I toweled my face and pinned up my hair to a ponytail. Then I went to my closet and got out a simple T-shirt and jeans.

On my way to the kitchen I could hear J.C. whistle a tune. I didn't recognize it but it sounded suspiciously like a lullaby.

"J.C?", I called out. God, I hated that name. If he didn't remember his real name maybe I should give him a new one?

"Yes?" I thought of the night before. Maybe it was coincidence, but...

"What-" I stopped dead in my tracks. J.C. stood at the herd, making scrambled eggs. "-are you doing?"

"Making scrambled eggs."

"You don't know your name but how to make scrambled eggs?"

"It's easy, really."

I shook my head. "Your by far the weirdest person I've ever met, _Jace_ ", I said, tasting the name on my tongue. It fitted I decided.

"Say that again."

"What? Oh, sorry. But you know...J.C. is a pretty dumb name to call somebody so I decided I'd give you a new one. I settled for Jace. Thought it fitted." He had raised the pan and now it clashed on the herd again. He retreated to the nearest chair and sat down, head in hands. "You don't like it?", I asked and made my way over to the eggs.

"Gives me a headache", he said.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Guess we have to find something else fo-"

"No! Sorry. I mean...It's just that memories give me a headache. And that's my name. Like my real name. So of course it hurts."

I felt a slight nausea in my stomach. If this was his name…..A suspicion formed in my head. It couldn´t be possible, right? Still….I walked over and knealt before him. "Look at me", I said.

"Why?"

"Just look at me, Jace." This time he obeyed. His face so close to me I could see the long lashes shading his eyes. When he looked up I gasped. His eyes weren't brown like I thought at first. Rather they were a luminous gold.

"Holy shit", I gasped.

"What?"

This could be bad. Really bad. "Nothing", I said instead. "I just realized you have very beautiful eyes. But enough of that. We should eat before the eggs get burned." And with that I got up and served breakfast.


	2. New World

******A/N:** I´m not going to update regularly. Also I´m probably a few chapters ahead but I´m a mean person who likes her readers to wait. (Not really. I´m just really insecure about posting and edit a whole lot.)

* * *

We ate the eggs in silence. Every now and then Jace would throw me an inquisitive glance, but I ignored him. Well, as best as you can ignore someone that you came to know as a book character and now sits across from you eating the same scrambled eggs you do. Plus you know more about him then he does. My mind raced. I would let him stay. I didn´t know how I would explain his presences to others but I would think about it. Also I couldn´t just tell him everything. First this whole thing probably had a reason. Second memories gave him a headache and I saw no need to unessesary hurt him.

"I hate liars", he finally said.

"I thought you don´t remember anything about yourself?", I asked. He ignored my comment and went on: "I try not to lie if I can avoid it. And I can see it when people lie."

I stared at him blankly. "I know you lied. It was my eyes, yes, but you keep something from me."

I sighed. "Listen. It´s complicated. I have a... _notion_ about who you could be. But it´s stupid and confusing and...just let me figure things out before I tell you, will you?"

Instead of answering he asked: "You know me?"

"Well", I said, "If you are who I think you are, yes."

He looked down and drew circles and lines on the empty plate. Eventually he said: "Were we in some sort of...relationship?"

I smiled a little and shook my head. "No. You´re not exactly my type."

Some sort of weight must have fallen of his shoulders because he started to grin. "I think you´re not mine either."

"I know", I responded. I thought about my long brown hair and blue eyes and how not his type I was. I grinned too.

"Friends then?"

"Sort of", I said.

"_Sort of__?_"

"How do I explain it without sounding dumb? Let´s say I know you very well but you don´t know me at all."

"You´re a stalker?"

"Doubt that", I said and took my last bite of the eggs.

He looked at me confused. "Sorry", I said. "Let me figure out everything and maybe this becomes clearer." He nodded.

"So what am I supposed to do while you´re busy finding out stuff?", he asked. "Dunno. Read something..." Then it hit me. "I´ll give you one of my favorite books. It´s awesome."

I jumped up and jogged to the bedroom. "What am I supposed to do with the plates?", Jace called.

"Put them in the dishwasher", I answered turning my attention back to the bookshelf. I looked at the space where I put it yesterday, but it wasn´t there. Weird. Frantically I searched the bookshelf for it but it was gone. I plowed through the stack of books at the base of the bed, scattering them across the room. Nothing. It was gone. All eight books completely nonexistent. I heard foot steps at the other end of the room and Jace walked in. He picked up one of the books nearest to the door and whistled. "Dickens?"

"Classic."

"What are you looking for?"

"A book. Part of a series. But they all are gone. Even the other series." I looked up. Jace stood behind me, still holding the book. "Which one is that?", I asked.

"A Tale Of Two Cities", he answered.

"You should read it", I said, "One of my other favorites and strangely connected to the missing books."

"Then I trust your judgment." With that he left the room. I sat down on the bed starring at the mess. It couldn´t simply vanish, could it? But what if it had something to do with Jaces appearance?

I sorted the books again. Then I took my laptop and made my way back to the livingroom.

"Not being able to let me out of your view, are you?", he asked as I sat down. "Too attractive I bet."

"Actually no. I just thought locking myself in my room doesn´t make things better." I started the computer and looked at Jace. A pained expression flashed over his face, as if the words hurt him. "Memories?"

"I read that before didn´t I?"

"Yes. Thought maybe familiar things would help you retrieve your past." He nodded and I went back to my Laptop. I opened my browser and searched:

_The Mortal Instruments_

I ended on pages about role-play, but no book. No movie. Nothing. I tried again:

_The Infernal Devices_

Nothing. They didn´t exist. Never written. I tried my luck one last time:

_**Cassandra Clare**_

_**Judith Rumelt** (born July 27, 1973), better known by her pen name **Cassandra Clare**, is an American author of young adult fiction, most known for her bestselling series _The Magisterium.

I starred at the page. I´ve heard about The Magisterium. I hadn't read it because it wasn´t published yet. Now it was the bestselling novel that got turned into a movie and it was as if The Mortal Instruments had never existed in the first place.

Jace must´ve seen my face because he asked: "Everything alright?"

"Yes", I said. "No. Actually not. I found out why I couldn´t find the book. It was never written."

"So you just made up reading...how many books?"

"Eight. There was a ninth one but it wasn´t published yet. And I didn´t make it up. My friend read it too. I..." Was I turning insane? I always had some doubt about my sanity, but maybe I really just made it up.

"Then ask her about it." But then how come he was here. Real. I was pretty sure about who he was by now.

"She´ll have forgotten. Like everybody else."

"You won´t find out until you ask her. Or the author. You should write him-"

"-her-"

"-her too. Maybe there are others like you."

That made me smile a little. "You make it sound like I am the only survivor of a Zombie Apocalypse searching for other non-infected."

He laughed. "The book...it has something to do with me, doesn´t it?", he asked.

"Yes", I said. I could be honest with him about this thing now, couldn´t I? "Your´re the main protagonist. That´s why I know you."

"I don´t think you´ll be telling me the plot or about other people, so I´m not gonna ask you about that. Just: Whats my last name?", he asked not seeming surprised.

I started to laugh. Then I closed the laptop and set it on the coffee-table. "It changes", I replied.

"My name?"

"Yes. It changes. Who you are is dependent on which point of the story you are."

He grumbled something undefinable, then: "Where are you going?"

I was already at the front door, putting on shoes and a jacket. "To my friend, asking her about the books."

"Couldn´t you like _phone_ her?"

"I need to do some shopping afterwards, so it doesn´t matter", I explained. I opened the door and looked back. "Just try not to set the house on fire." Then I was gone.


	3. Blue Eyes

**A/N:** I´m not sure about the guidelines, but it says that non-fictional characters aren´t allowed so I was wondering if they are not allowed in general or as a fixed character. Could they have a small appearance or for example write a letter?

Also I am an absolute zero at naming things so sorry for bad chapter titles.

Further I realized I posted in the wrong category. I´m such a mess.

* * *

Rachel lived a few blocks from me so I could walk easily. She was my best friend after my mom and had been for the past couple years. We had been roommates in college and soon realized we shared interests. After graduation we had moved to New York together. Since a year ago she lived in her own apartment which she moved in with her ex-boyfriend. She was an artist and normally I loved spending time at hers. It was a small cozy space smelling like coffee and old books like the office of my dad. It felt like home every time I was there. Now I hoped getting reassurance there.

I reached the brownstone and rang the bell to Rachels apartment. Nothing happened for a while. Then Rachels voice emerged from the speaker: "Hello?"

"Hi, Rach, it´s me."

"Deliah! Oh, I´m so sorry about dinner."

"Dinner?" I vaguely remembered having a date with her tonight but it was just ten o´clock in the morning.

"Yeah, I left you a message. I can't come. It's...complicated."

"Complicated? Well, can I come up? I need to talk to you", I said urgently. I really hadn´t time for her moods.

"Deliah, I...you can't come in. I got visitors."

I sighed. "Seriously?"

I heard someone murmur in the background.

"Okay, okay", she said to the person and hit the buzzer. I pushed the door open before she could change her mind again. Taking the stairs two at the time I made my way to the fourth floor. Rachel stood in the door, arms crossed. Her red hair was pinned up. She wore a simple blue tanktop and black jeans. "What?", she asked in an annoyed – and for her untypical – voice.

"I need to talk to you", I repeated, "Can I come in? It´s something I´d rather not discuss in the stairwell."

Rachel didn´t make an attempt to move, so I stood there awkwardly. Finally I decided I had enough. I pushed past her, into the familiar flat. It looked the same as always, the green and red curtains drawn over the windows, the mismatched furniture and the old brown couch in the center of the room. On it someone was sitting, the face turned toward the TV-set but not actually having it on.

"Deliah, seriously. This isn´t the best time. Can´t it wait until-"

"Who is that?", I interrupted her, pointing at the mop of black hair that was visible over the couch.

"I", the boy said, getting up, "am a good friend of Rachel. We met in college and-"

"Stop it", she shut down his obviously learned speech.

"You taught him to say that?", I asked, "What is going on here Rachel?"

The boy wore the same clothes Jace had and with his black hair and blue eyes I could imagine who he would be. He reached for my hand and bowed. "I am Will Herondale. Pleased to meet you."

I stared down at his blue eyes as the world tilted and everything went black.

When I came back to my senses I found myself laying on Rachels couch. I could tell that with closed eyes. Someone was hoovering over me, touching my forehead.

"I think she hit her head a bit, but she will be alright. She might be in need of a glass of water though", Will said next to me.

Rachel answered from the kitchen: "How good that you´re so wise. I might have thought she died."

Will groaned. "Do you think I choose this hell to be spit up? Just those devices everywhere."

"It's a television" Rachel said, her voice coming nearer, "I told you that before. The people are not caught in there. They got filmed. You sure know what a camera is!"

"Sounds dangerous", he answered half heartily.

Before they could bicker any more I opened my eyes and sat up groggily. Blinking I tried to take in my surroundings. Will was kneeling on the floor next to the couch and Rachel had positioned herself on the armrest. Something smooth and cylindrical was pushed into my hands. It took me a moment to realize it was a glass. I gulped down the water desperately. The cool fluid felt good in my burning throat.

"I didn't scream, did I?", I asked. Will grinned and straightened up. "No. You went down in brave silence. It looked very graceful."

Rachel shot him an acid glance but I cracked a smile.

"How long have I been out?"

"Ten minutes maybe", Rachel answered, "maybe less."

I nodded in silent agreement, putting down the glass on the table.

"Would you consider to enlighten me about your fainting?", Will asked, "I am fairly sure it's nothing special for a young girl to faint at the sight of a handsome face and yet I was surprised after your friend seemed so...hostile."

This time I laughed. "She's not hostile, right Rachel? Just a bit taken aback."

"You know what happened?", Rachel asked fiddling with her clothes.. "I mean...you remember them?"

"Who?", Will said.

I ignored him. "Yes."

"I just woke up to him laying on the couch", she said letting go of her shirt.

"I suppose you didn't tell him anything?"

"No", she said. "It seemed so far and he wouldn´t have believed me. I mean, there is no proof or whatsoever."

"Well, today is your lucky day. There is some related stuff still existing." I jumped up and a searing pain shot through my head, making my vision blurry. I grabbed for something to steady myself finding Wills shoulder.

"You should have some more rest", he said wincing. I must have grabbed to hard.

"No", I said blinking, "I'm fine. I'll be fine." Eventually my vision cleared and I let go of him. I made my way to the bedroom, finding the book in it's usual place. Picking it up I went back.

"We need to tell him", I said to Rachel and gave Will the book. He looked at it confused.

"Yeah. Alright. Eh...so, the thing is...", she stuttered.

"What the hell is that?", Will interrupted.

"What?", I asked.

"That", he said holding the book so I could see. On the first page something was scrawled with black ink. I just scanned the page and still knew what it said.

"Rachel, you didn't seriously do that, did you?"


	4. Paining Memories

**A/N: **I feel like my chapters are too short and I´m rushing the story, but yeah. Hope it´s not too bad.

* * *

I starred at the pages of _A Tale Of Two Cities_ in disbelieve. "Rachel?"

"Well, yes? I liked that part okay. I wrote it in my own copy of the book and-"

"That´s amazing!", I exclaimed. "I mean, we have prove. None of us has the writing skills to come up with something like that."

"Yeah. You´re right", Rachel said with a cool undertone. I turned back to Will who was reading the first page.

"I wrote that", he said matter-of-factly.

"So you remember?", I asked.

"What do you mean? Writing this or leaving it in front of Tessas door or Tessa or Jem?"

"Well, that seems to be a lot. Your head ok?"

Will sat down rubbing his temples. "Yes. Just some tiny headache. It´s alright."

"That's good", I answered.

"Wait a moment", Rachel said. "How do you know about the headache?"

I bit my lip uncomfortably. "Well, I might have forgot to mention something."

I recited the events of this morning in short form, leaving out the fact that Jace was a Herondale and Will´s descendant. "He´s at my home right now. I just hope he really doesn´t set the house on fire..."

Everyone was silent for a while. Rachel starred at me. "Jace? You get Jace and I get _him_?"

"Oh, because that Jace-guy is better than I? Seriously. What have you got against me?", Will snapped and got up. He towered over Rachel like she was a demon he´d enjoy sending back to the void.

"I´ve got nothing against you. If you forget the part that you´re a fictional character that somehow ended up on my couch, complain about everything-"

"Fictional character? I don´t understand", he interrupted her.

"What Rachel means", I said, "is that you´re a character from a book series called _T__he Infernal Devices_. We both read those books and know a whole lot of things about you and Tessa and Jem and everyone else. But now you somehow became a real person."

Will made a face at the Infernal Devices as if remembering the humanoid robots that tried to kill him so many times. "And this Jace is from the books too? Because I don´t remember him."

"No. Jace is from a book series called _The Mortal Instruments_. Both are from the same author and play in the same world just in different times. You never met him or ever will because you´re long dead by then."

"Oh. Well that seems to be fantastic news. At least I won´t get turned into a vampire or anything but die at some point." He sat down again, head in hands.

"Where did that come from?"

He shrugged. "Memories. Could someone fetch me a glass of water now? My head feels like it´s going to explode."

"That would be nice", Rachel muttered not really lowering her voice.

"Rachel!", I hissed. "Just get the water!"

"Why I? You know where the sink is and while you´re at it you could bring him some aspirin."  
I sighed and got up unwillingly to leave those two alone in one room. On the other hand they survived the morning so they would make it trough the five minutes I was gone. I picked a glass from the shelf, filled it with water and popped a pill out of the pack. While I waited for it to dissolve I watched them over the kitchen counter. Rachel sat in the armchair and Will at the far end of the couch, both keeping as much distance as possible between them. I took the glass and went back.

"Alright", I said as I handed Will the water. He took a sip and then look at me like I was going to kill him.

"What did you put in my drink?"

"Medicine", Rachel said. "Just drink it."

Will looked at her incredulous but gulped down everything.

"Now let´s hope it doesn´t kill me", he said, set the glass down on the table and leaned back.

"Well that would be convenient", Rachel snorted.

"What exactly is your problem with Will?", I asked growing tiered of her resentment.

"My problem?", she almost shouted. "My problem is that he is an asshole and you side with him and..." She took a deep breath.

"That is not a problem. It´s a difference in opinion which everybody should be able to come over. I am sorry that you don´t like me but I am not going to change", Will said calmly.

I looked at him insistently. _No need to provoke her further_, I wanted to tell him. But it was too late.

"Not a problem?", Rachel shouted. "You just wake up on my couch, invade my home, don´t give a fuck about me and make my friends side with you and you call that _not a problem_? And you" she turned on me, "don´t seem to care either, do you? Some book-characters are alive. Yay! Just let´s have some fun. Don´t care about what it could mean. _Fantastic_!"

"Rach-" Thats not true, I wanted to say but she interrupted me.

"Oh, shut up with your Rach", she yelled. And with that she stormed out of the door.

"Awesome!", I shouted though she probably couldn´t hear me. "Now you just run way from the problem!"

"What´s the matter with her?", Will asked. "She´s been that way the whole morning and I can´t imagine someone being so..." He seemed at a loss for words.

"Moody?", I offered. "Sullen? Ill tempered?"

"Let´s go with naturally ill tempered, yes."

"She isn´t", I said. "Actually she´s a bright ray of sunshine. And I don´t really have an idea what might be wrong. It can´t possibly be still because of Jake. That´s been over for four months."

"Jake?"

"Her ex-boyfriend. They rented this apartment together but all they´ve ever done since moving in is arguing. Until four months ago when they decided to break up. But she seemed to be over that. No, it has to be something we did that made her explode like this."

"You mean something that I did. You´ve been here for like half an hour. It really couldn´t be your fault", Will said.

"It was. I sided with you. I took control of the situation making her look useless. I kept things from her. It was all me. I added the last straw."

"I still don´t get it", he said. "I mean it can´t be simply my existence, can it?"

"Who knows...", I said. "How´s your head?"

"Better", he said clearly getting my hint that I don´t want to talk about Rachel any longer. "Much better actually. I don´t know what that stuff was that you gave me but it worked better than any potion."

I grinned. "Good. Want some fresh air?"

"You mean we should go outside?"

"Well, I need some cheering up and also we might as well do something practical. Like getting you some spare clothes and filling up my fridge."

"Uh...", he said and looked at his bare feet. "I don´t think I can go outside. I don´t have any shoes."


End file.
